This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
In many of today's vehicles, automobiles included, a variety of different interior trim panels are installed in the passenger compartment. These interior trim panels form part of the vehicle's interior and cover up walls and other components of the vehicle such as electrical wiring, air bags, and HVAC ducting. The result is a passenger compartment that is quieter, more attractive, and more comfortable. In addition, interior trim panels may cover up components that would otherwise pose a risk of injury to a vehicle occupant. Generally speaking, interior trim panels have an inside surface, an outside surface, and a trim panel perimeter. The inside surface of the interior trim panel faces the passenger compartment while the outside surface typically faces one of the walls of the vehicle. Interior trim panels can be made out of a variety of different materials, including by way of non-limiting example, plastic, rubber, cloth, fabric, carbon fiber, woven materials, nonwoven materials, foam, fiberglass, wood, and metal.
Interior trim panels are typically secured to the exterior walls or other vehicle structures by fasteners and/or adhesive. Accordingly, interior trim panels are difficult to remove after they are installed in a vehicle. One exemplary interior trim panel is a headliner. Headliners are typically attached to an interior surface of a roof of a vehicle by adhesive and are therefore difficult to remove after installation. Some headliners cover up curtain-style airbags, sunroof regulators, and HVAC ducting. In addition to providing noise reduction and improved aesthetics, most headliners provide some degree of thermal insulation for the passenger compartment. While permanently installed headliners may not pose significant drawbacks in some vehicles, such headliners are not well suited to vehicles that have a removable roof or removable roof segments. Headliners can add significant weight to the removable roof or removable roof segments making the installation, removal, and handling of these components more difficult.